D2 Standard Rifle
The D2 Standard Rifle is an Imperial semi-automatic infantry rifle that was developed and introduced in the aftermath of the War of the Century, and widely used in the following Global Conflict. Regarded as a highly effective firearm, the D2 was the first semi-automatic rifle to be manufactured on the scale of a standard infantryman's weapon. Background In ERA 08-96, the neighbouring minor power of Zicia contracted the Great Imperial armament company Newcastle to provide tooling and technical assistance for a new semi-automatic service rifle they were prototyping. The yet unnamed rifle was being developed by the northern-based Shinu National Concern, who at that point were best known for their manufacture of the crude but inexpensive ZR.92 bolt-action. The company's goal was to replace the ZR.92 and all other rifles in service with a similarly inexpensive semi-automatic. Although the notion seemed hopelessly ambitious for a relatively backwards country before the turn of the century, the Zician design greatly impressed Great Imperial inspectors. They agreed to assist in development. By the autumn of ERA 08-99, full-scale war on the continent was imminent. Newcastle had completed its construction of the first of two new assembly lines at the Shinu plant before the Imperial gunsmiths were ordered home due to mounting tensions. A year later, Zicia was invaded. In the months before the outbreak of hostilities, only a limited number of the so-called "New Type" semi-automatic rifles were produced using the previously set-up machinery. The rest of the tooling was left to rust, uninstalled, as the Shinu arms plant diverted all of its resources towards bolt-action rifle production. During the War of the Century, most of the world's powers, including the Great Empire, introduced semi-automatic rifles on a limited basis in an attempt to augment the firepower of their infantry. While some designs performed better than others, ultimately the weapons were either too expensive or too unreliable when considered as a possible replacement for the then-standard bolt-action service rifles. Newcastle, who still retained detailed schematics of the New Type, believed the weapon could be of use to the Great Empire along the lines of the Causewegian "Blùcete-G" automatic. The Imperial Ministry of Procurement rejected these claims, refusing to believe that a technologically stunted country such as Zicia could produce any sort of technological advancement. The war ended without any domestic production. After the war, the personnel at Newcastle continued to work of the design, refining the weapon whilst maintaining cost-effectiveness. For over a decade engineers built upon the original before the weapon was presented again to the Procurement board. The Royal Guard, whose doctrine preferred bolt-action rifles, dismissed the proposal, but the Land Corps showed great interest in the weapon. Named the D2, the rifle entered service in ERA 09-27, and over the next three decades, gradually replaced most other designs in Land Corps service. Performance Inexpensive and versatile, the D2 outperformed the bolt action rifles in service during that time. Its gas operated, semi-automatic action allowed for a greater rate of fire than most of its contemporaries, and its ubiquity within the Land Corps greatly augmented both the individual and combined firepower of their personnel. It was loaded using an eight round single-unit clip that was quick and easy to load but lead to problems when the user had to unload unfired rounds. The combat effectiveness of the D2 in the hands of the Land Army can be appreciated by the change it had upon other domestic and foreign militaries. The Royal Guard soon sought a semi-automatic service rifle replacement after adopting the D2 on a limited scale, while other global militaries began to adopt automatics on a similarly widespread scale. In an ironic development, the Zician arms concern of Shinu, while under the occupation of Heartland, produced a near copy of the D2 - a weapon that was originally based on their own "New Type" prototype. Because of its excellent performance, the D2 stayed in service for over fifty years. At this point, the rifles were worn out from age. This lead to a modernized Battle-Rifle version of the weapon, the D2/60, to be introduced shortly after the end of the Global Conflict, which remains in service in the present. Category:Rifles Category:Weapons used by Great Empire Category:Premier Timeline